


Nail Polish

by DrChickenSlinger



Category: Naruto
Genre: GaaLee, LeeGaa, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 11:22:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18387428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrChickenSlinger/pseuds/DrChickenSlinger
Summary: Lee injured his hands, their appearance furthering his insecurity of the way he looks.  Gaara helps remind him how beautiful he really is.





	Nail Polish

Lee laid in bed, his head bandaged to match the wrappings always present on his arms. Only, instead of the usual scars and bumps littering his skin, his hands were black and blue. He had been patrolling the border of Suna with Gaara when an overhanging of rocks crumbled, falling towards them. Lee had pushed Gaara out of the way and decimated the rocks the only way he knew how; by punching them into tiny pebbles. One of the larger segments had hit him in the head, knocking him out and lacerating his skin. But he had saved Gaara and managed to make it out with only a few minor injuries and one very upset husband.

“Lee, how are your hands? Do you need anything?” Gaara asked, stepping into their room in his Kazekage robe. He wanted to take the week off to be with Lee and help him heal, but the council was attempting to reform the academy’s education plans which meant that he was in long, arduous meetings for 12-15 hours every day.

“Gaara! It is so good to see you,” Lee said, wincing as he sat up in bed, “I am doing just fine. Please do not let me worry you, return to your work!”

“We’re taking a break for lunch. I have at least an hour to spend with you.” Gaara sat down in bed next to Lee, crossing his legs and gently pulling one of his arms into his lap. He studied it, the broken capillaries in his skin blooming across in deep purples, blues, and blacks. The edges had begun turning a light yellow and green, a sign that the healing process had started.

“They are quite ugly,” Lee said, looking down at his hand, “I do not regret protecting you, but I wish it didn’t look so bad.”

 

“They aren’t ugly, Lee. Every part of you is beautiful and strong. Nothing that is part of you could ever be ugly,” Gaara said, intensely looking into Lee’s eyes. Lee laughed lightly, pain evident in his face from the strain it put on his aching head.

“Thank you for saying that, Gaara, but I will have to disagree. My body may be strong, but it is far from beautiful.”

Gaara continued to stare deeply into Lee’s eyes, brow furrowed in concentration. After a few moments, he got up from the bed abruptly, leaving the room.

“Wait, Gaara, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you!” Lee called, raising his bruised hand in the direction he left. He slumped back against the pillow, his eyes filling with tears. After a few minutes, Gaara returned, carrying a small bag that clinked as he walked. Gaara returned to his previous position on the bed, this time without his robes on, shedding them in favor of his usual house outfit.

“Lee, you are beautiful. Your scars and bruises make up part of your beauty because it shows how hardworking and dedicated you are. I know they hurt and I wish I could take that away, but I would never ever change how you look. You’re my husband and you’re the only person I could have fallen in love with, scars and all.”

He bent over Lee, gently wiping away his tears and kissing the bandage on his head. He sat back and pulled the bag onto his lap, glass clacking gently.

“What is that?” Lee asked, sitting up and staring at Gaara.

“It’s Kankuro’s nail polish,” he explained, unzipping the bag to show Lee it’s contents, “We can cover your nails while they heal and help you feel a little better about how they look. Is that okay?”

Lee gave Gaara a wide grin, a smile that he hadn’t seen in a few days. Lee had the tendency to keep his darker thoughts, especially those that concerned his own appearance and capabilities, to himself, allowing them to fester. But Gaara was glad when he talked about them, always welcoming the opportunity to help and love Lee. 

“That sounds like an excellent idea!”

Gaara pulled out a few of the bottles. They were made by Kankuro, mixed in his workshop when he needed a break from making his puppets. He typically preferred purple, matching his nails to his face paint, but he had mixed various different colors, knowing that both Gaara and Temari also liked to paint their nails.

“What color would you like, Lee?” Gaara asked, spreading the bottles on the bed in front of him.

“Oh! I could do red like your hair! Or maybe green like your hat! Or orange like my leg warmers!”

Gaara smiled gently at Lee as his face furrowed into a concentrated frown. “On second thought, I do not know that I could decide on one color. Maybe it would be best if you picked. It could be a surprise!”

Gaara nodded at him, gently pressing Lee to lay back down. “No peeking, Lee.”

Lee giggled as Gaara gently picked up his hand, pressing a small kiss to each finger before he began to work. The strong smell of polish filled the air. Gaara did his best to fan it away as he painted, not wanting it to make Lee’s head feel worse. Once he had finished one hand, he grabbed the other, giving his fingers the same treatment as he had Lee’s other hand, pressing his lips gently on each one. After a few more minutes of spreading the brush smoothly over Lee’s blackened nails, he used his own to scrape the edges where polish had strayed. He finished fanning Lee’s hands, ensuring they were dry, then closed the bottle and sat back.

“Okay. You can look now.”

Lee excitedly sat up, staring at his hands. Blue and purple hands extended into darkened fingers. But now instead of black nails at the tips, each was a bright red, the middle finger accented in green.

“Red and green! Like you and me!” Lee said, grinning widely.

“Exactly. I wanted to put you in the middle to remind you that no matter what, I will always be by your side. That’s why we both wear these rings,” Gaara said, gently tapping the ring on Lee’s left hand. Even though it hurt to take it on and off, Lee wanted to keep wearing it as a show of his devotion to his beloved Kazekage.

“Thank you, Gaara. It is beautiful. Thank you for reminding me of that beauty in myself.”

Lee pulled Gaara into a light hug, doing his best to wrap his injured arms around him. He placed kiss after kiss into his hair, causing Gaara to bury his face in Lee’s neck.

“I love you, Lee,” he said, voice muffled.

“I love you too, Gaara,” Lee said. He pulled back quickly, his eyes lit up in excitement, “Can I paint your nails now?! I would really like to try!”

“Well, Lee, you can’t really use your hands right now…”

“That is okay! I will use my feet! It will be excellent training!”

Gaara returned to his meetings with black polish smeared up and down his fingers, his nail barely covered in some instances. But he was happy knowing that he was able to reassure Lee of his beauty and strength. He knew that it wouldn’t be the last time he would need to do it, but he was willing to do it for as long as Lee stuck by his side.

**Author's Note:**

> LET BOYS WEAR NAIL POLISH! Anyways, hope you enjoyed! Thank you for reading my lovelies! Hope you have an excellent week <3


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